Annie Oakley was probably the most famous marksman/woman in the world when this short clip was produced in Edison's Black Maria studio in West Orange, New Jersey. Barely five feet tall, Annie was always associated with the wild west, although she was born in 1860 as Phoebe Ann Oakley Mozee (or Moses)in Darke County, Ohio. Nevertheless, she was a staple in the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show and similar wild west companies. Because of her diminutive stature, she was billed as "Little Sure Shot."
The man assisting her is this appearance is probably her husband, Frank E. Butler. Annie had outshot Butler (a famous dead-eye marksman himself) in a shooting contest in the 1880's. Instead of nursing his bruised ego because he had been throughly outgunned by a woman, Butler fell in love, married Little Sure Shot, and became her manager.
Theirs was a solid and happy marriage that lasted 44 years, and when Annie died on November 3, 1926, at age 66, a heartbroken Butler followed her to the grave 18 days later.
Credits
The Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division - http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
Reviewer:fiercecravinbob
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August 23, 2022 Subject:
The rifle?
Oakley favored a Marlin Model 1893, one of the first use smokeless powder but obviously she is using cartridges containing black powder. Perhaps they were shotgun type rounds and not bullets. Marlin lever action in that time were far superior to Winchester. Hers was a breakdown model.
Reviewer:microcosme
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August 17, 2017 Subject:
So glad she was filmed
Annie Oakley is one of the coolest people in history.
Reviewer:NoiseCollector
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January 20, 2009 Subject:
Too short
The film that is. Interesting footage.
I think Michael No Nose Jackson summed it up, "Annie are you Oakley, are you Oakley Annie".
Reviewer:Robin_1990
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February 27, 2008 Subject:
Proof Guns are FUN!
Curious little short showing a woman shooting a Rifle. Very amusing and quite exciting, with the lady showing herself to be talented. Her life was later turned into a TV series.